Ghosts
by The USS Ficcelsior
Summary: Merry Christmas, Xbox.


" _The day after tomorrow."_

\- Anonymous

* * *

" _When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see…"_

The timeless lyrics floated from the jukebox in the corner of the Hammerhead diner. Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus were huddled in a circular booth, waiting for their meals and enjoying the clear blue sky shining through the diner's windows.

On the center of the table, sprawled in an almost ceremonial arrangement of ceramic ash trays and laminated breakfast menus, was Lunafreya. Her lifeless arms were stretched at her sides, her legs dangled over the edge of the table like a broken doll's, and her head was turned over in eternal sleep. She was dressed in a vibrant white dress with white gloves and white flowers in her hair. All white, except for the massive red stain still growing over the left side of her waist. None of the diner's passing costumers paid any mind to the peculiar extra luggage the companions had brought with them on their road trip.

"Ironic, isn't it, Wilkes?" Noctis laughed in an exaggerated raspy, smoke-laden voice. "First you build the damn car, now you're going to destroy it."

"With the way you're running things, I'm surprised we're not already caught," Ignis added, sipping his cup of coffee. Something about his English accent made his words sound more natural.

"At least I don't need a chip implanted in my brain to make me a better man," Gladiolus said, mimicking Ignis's accent for some mysterious reason.

"Not this car. THIS car," Prompto said.

Everyone at the table became silent. Ignis, Gladiolus, and Noctis wore expressions of anger and horror.

"Right. Sorry," Prompto nervously apologized as he sank deep into the red leather of his seat. "Wrong season."

"It's a gift, Commander," Gladiolus said to steer the conversation back on course.

"I'm never going to want to drive anything else," Ignis said.

"There's some nice memories in here," Gladiolus said. "Some pretty pictures. Some good feelings. If that had been taken away from me, I'm sure I'd feel the same way you do. But you know something? Not all of my memories are as wonderful as these. As a matter of fact, a lot of them are pretty damn bad, so don't you think yours might be a fairly mixed batch as well? Seems to me you didn't do so well with it the last time around. Now when that doctor uses that gizmo to reprogram your head, it won't just be some movie you can stand back and look at. Those feelings and experiences will be right back inside you. How are you going to handle the hurt, the putdowns, the disappointments, the anger, all the things that persuaded you to make the wrong choices before, the criminal choices that made the world your enemy? Is the Joe Astor you are strong enough to overcome the Michael Payton you used to be?"

The four men bowed their heads in deep philosophical thought.

"I'd buy that for a dollar," Prompto said with a cheesy grin.

He glanced from side to side, nodding his head to no one in particular and fishing for a positive reaction. Instead, Ignis buried his face in his palm, while Gladiolus made a look like he was about to slash Prompto open at the throat and toss his corpse on the table right beside Lunafreya's. Noctis, the icebreaker, only shrugged and said "At least he's getting closer."

"Can I tell ya somethin'?" Gladiolus said as he crossed his hands behind his head. "I feel like the guy who touched up the Sistine Chapel."

"I guess we'll have to give him the additional motivation," said Ignis.

"Stay the hell off my beat," said Noctis

"A man without a memory can be supplied with one," Ignis suggested.

"Watch it," Gladiolus snapped at Ignis, pointing at him in a threatening way. "It doesn't count if it's only in the script."

"That one made it to the intro, though," Ignis replied.

Gladiolus retracted his hand and mumbled in concession.

"If he could drive half as good as he can bitch, we'd be fine" said Ignis.

"Yeah? Well blood doesn't wash that easily, my friend," said Noctis.

"You haven't won, Payton. You can't. Because no matter who you pretend to be, inside you're just like me," said Gladiolus.

"The way I see it," Prompto coldly interrupted, "I did die, and you brought me back as someone else."

There was another moment of abrupt silence. Noctis raised his index finger as if he were ready to make an objection, but then shook his head in second thought.

"Acceptable," he said simply.

"How do I explain this? Termites?" said Gladiolus.

"Watch your back. And your front. And both sides," said Ignis.

"The Outfit's files are very complete," said Noctis.

"Yes. They've got everything on everyone," Ignis agreed.

The four friends bonded through their odd idle chatter. They lost track of time as the jukebox looped through its current track.

"… _Just as long as you stand, stand by me…"_

* * *

 _Author's note: This is just how these guys cope with the grieving process. Don't judge them._


End file.
